SM Early Childhood Education Center
Carla Heintz, Principal
What's Happening
5-8- Food Drive
7- Picture Retake Day
12- Family Literacy Night 6-7
19-23 No School
30- Early Childhood Screening
In the News
From the Principal's Desk
Thank you to all of the parents that volunteered their time, provided treats and other items for our parties and joined us to celebrate fall!! We had a wonderful time at our fall parties on the 31st!
November brings another opportunity to join us here at SMECE and bring your family to celebrate literacy! Monday, Nov. 12th will be our parent- child literacy night from 6-7. Please put it on your calendars now and plan to join us! We will have a variety of fun activities to do with your child all centered around reading. Come and travel on an obstacle course that goes along with a familiar story, use QR codes to find great read aloud books, or play some literacy related games. We look forward to seeing you all here for fun and learning that evening!
There will be no school November 19-23 due to teacher professional learning time and Thanksgiving break. While long breaks from school and holiday events can be a fun and exciting time for most children, it can also create stress and confusion for some. In order for both you and your children to enjoy this break to it's fullest make sure you do your best to keep their daily schedule as consistent as possible. This includes naps and bedtime. Give your child down time away from the hustle and bustle of family activities and spend some quiet one on one time with them reading a book or snuggling. It also helps to talk to them and tell them about the events that will happen each day. Most importantly take care of yourself. If you are feeling stressed and over-extended it impacts your children as well.
Parents you are always welcome in the building to see what is happening, and we want you here. However we do ask all parents to sign in the office and get a visitor badge before proceeding to the classroom and checking out through the office before you leave!
Food Drive November 5-8
This November the Shawnee Mission School District will once again participate in the annual “We Care I Can” food drive to benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. With continued economic challenges and the growing number of Johnson County families in need, the efforts of the Shawnee Mission School District are even more deeply appreciated. The items most needed are: canned tomatoes, fruit, corn, peas, cereal, macaroni & cheese, jello, peanut butter, dry baby food, canned meat, canned dinners and soups.
Please send your donations to school with your child November 5-8. Thank you for partnering with us to support families in need. For more information about the Johnson County Christmas Bureau please visit http://www.jccb.org
Picture Retakes November 7
Notes from the Associate Special Education Coordinator
Hello SMECEC Families!
As we move into the next few months and the weather gets a little cooler, we start to spend more time inside. I thought it would be fun to take a look at technology that can help us get through this time of year.
This one seems super simple, but involves so much thinking and language for children. Take or access a photo using a device you or your child has. Once you have it on the device you can start to talk about it with your child. Maybe it is a photo of a family member that your child does not always get to see. Maybe it is someone or some place that your family will visit over the holiday season. Once you have talked about the person or place do some annotations (write or type on the photo) as your child tells you the words. Another easy way to do this is on Google Slides. That way you can create it on any kind of device. Here’s a couple of examples I made using random photos from Google searches: Going to grandma’s for Thanksgiving & I Love My Family.
If you REALLY want to get fancy and want a challenge, you can do a voiceover on google slides (this part is just for you adults), so your child can watch and listen to the story or narration about the photos you have included. You can find the directions here for a YouTube video or here for written directions. Remember, it’s always better to make technology with your children as interactive as possible, so make sure you are right there with them AND the experience! Enjoy creating with technology!
Until next time…..Learn, Teach, Reflect, Grow, Repeat!
Shari Hardinger
Notes from the School Nurse:
Achoo….Not the Flu!!!
Let’s face it catching the flu (aka influenza) is miserable. So here are a few facts about influenza and what you and your family can do to help prevent it. First of all, influenza and the stomach flu are often thought to be the same thing. However they are not, influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. The influenza virus usually enters the body through mucus membranes in the mouth, nose, or eyes.
Flu symptoms: Sudden onset of fever, chills, body aches, tiredness, coughing, sneezing, and sore throat. Ways to prevent the flu: wash hands often with soap and water, avoid touching face, cover all sneezes and coughs with your elbow, and get plenty of rest and exercise.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued new requirements for Isolation and Quarantine of Infectious or Contagious Diseases. New this year:
· Influenza: Physician diagnosed cases of influenza will be excluded from school attendance for 7 days following the onset of illness.
If you or your children get the flu please stay home and take care of yourselves until you are free from fever for 24 hours without fever reducing medications. Thank you for helping keep your and our school family healthy!
Early Childhood Screening
Do you have concerns about your preschooler’s development?
SMSD offers an early childhood developmental screening which includes the areas of vision, hearing, problem-solving, personal-social development, gross/fine motor skills, and speech/language skills. The purpose of the screening is to identify children who may have substantial developmental delays and who may be eligible for special education services. SMSD’s Early Childhood Screening (ECS) is appropriate for children ages 2 years 9 months to 5 years old who reside within the Shawnee Mission School District boundaries.
How often are screenings offered?
Screenings for 2018-19 occur monthly on a Friday morning and are by appointment only. Parent or other legal guardian must complete a request for screening and submit the required documents before an appointment is offered.
How do I request a screening for my child?
More information about the ECS program can be found on the district’s Early Childhood Special Education home page under Early Childhood Screening.
Marker Recycling Now Available
New Social Media Sites
We have new social media sites this year! Please feel free to follow us and like us!!
Twitter: @theSMECEC
Instagram: SMECECSMSD
Facebook: SMECEC.SMSD
Pinterest i: SMECEC SMSD
Or search for #EarlyEDSMSD to see what's happening district wide in PreK!
Shawnee Mission Early Childhood Education Center
Email: carlaheintz@smsd.org
Website: earlychildcenter.smsd.org
Location: 9700 West 96th Street, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: (913)993-2600
Facebook: facebook.com/SMECEC.SMSD
Twitter: @theSMECEC